philippine english: a case of language drift · english. technically, these are second-language...

－ 29 －

Philippine English: A Case of Language Drift

Jonathan MALICSI

The common perception that English in the Philippines has been deteriorating can be seen as

a case of indigenization, resulting in a language variety which qualifies as a dialect even if the

process that gave rise to it differs from the traditional account of dialectalization. It has particular

linguistic features that arose out of a gradual drift in language learning away from the native

language speaker, such that generations of Filipino learners of English have picked up the forms

and rules of English from Filipino second-language learners trained by other Filipino second-

language learners. While international travel and information technology now allow Filipinos to

have ample exposure to and easily learn the English of the US, UK, Canada and Australia, the

English teaching tradition in the country has persisted in espousing the Pinoy variety. While

American sounds and idioms have become the norm for call centers and FM radio, all other

language-based institutions have resisted the so-called “foreign” sound, with some educators even

considering the standardization of Philippine English (or Pinoy English, to use a colloquial term to

emphasize its localization) for academic purposes.

The features of Pinoy English can be seen from a scrutiny of the outputs of English teachers,

media practitioners, and leaders of society in the Philippines. On the other hand, the features of

international English can be abstracted from a study of international print and broadcast media.

The dif ferences between the two result from interference by Philippine languages, and the

systematized forms of Filipino language professionals, nearly all of whom learned their English

from Filipino teachers who, in turn, learned from other Filipino teachers, with almost everyone

using limited dictionaries and traditional grammar books as primary sources for language learning.

Like genetic drift, in which random mutations eventually spread out in a species through

genetic transmission, language drift refers to random changes in forms and rules that diffuse

throughout a speech community through cultural transmission, and have become regular and

systematic, especially if the diffusers are considered as English exemplars in the community, e.g.:

idioms: if worse comes to worst

Birds of the same feather flock together.

investigation on

diction:double dead

ballpen

ocular inspection

－ 30 －

立命館言語文化研究22巻 1 号

syntax: It’s about time we unite.

Students are not understanding their books.

spelling: everyday (used as an adverb)

pronunciation: organization (stress on the second syllable)

characteristic (stress on the second syllable)

clandestine (stress on the first syllable)

Language drift has resulted in the various English dialects among nonnative speakers of

English. Technically, these are second-language dialects, different from pidgins or creoles.

So, Pinoy English. Many would identify this as the broken English of show-biz and political

personalities, but this paper identifies it as the English output of “educated Filipino professionals”, many of them considered as leaders of Philippine society.

The choice of informants is a very critical decision in linguistic work. When language analysis

was considered a type of behavioral analysis, linguistic students would sample communities to draw

patterns from different speakers. When language analysis became considered a type of cognitive

study, even only one informant was theoretically justified, and was even called the “ideal informant” – the native language speaker who is linguistically trained. But when the “ideal informant” was

shown to be sociologically nonexistent, linguistic students had to sample again, especially when

successful linguistic transaction became seen as being as much based on language as on social

relations and situations.

Yet, one feature of language allows convenience sampling, and this is the fact that the language

development of some communities, even of the majority, is strongly af fected by cer tain

communities, or certain sectors in society. This heteronomy, or the strong influence of one variety

on the development of another variety, means that the linguistic output of the leaders of a society is

the best data source for the language variety of that society. Innovations by or adopted by leaders

eventually get diffused among the rest of society – like the plague or the latest flu virus.

Based on this feature, let us try describing Pinoy English based on outputs of educated

Filipinos, say, the Inaugural Address of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Certainly, such an

address is the product of several minds, and it is safe to assume that those responsible for the final

form of the Address are among the best writers the Presidential Staff could tap for the task. The

copy of the Address used was downloaded from the websites <www.gov.ph> and <www.op.gov.ph>,

which carry all the important speeches of the Philippine President.

Some of the forms which differ from those expected in International English (or IE, used here

to mean the English of international broadcast and print media, and references) are:

All insurgence shall have turned their swords into plowshares.

　▪　“Insurgence” should have been “insurgents”.　▪　 Although biblical in origin, the metaphor “swords into plowshares” sounds anachro-

－ 31 －

Philippine English（MALICSI）

nistic.

They [the insurgents] will have become so absorbed into one society that the struggles of the

past will be just a stuff of legend.

　▪　 The use of the numeral “one” detracts from the expected “our” as determiner of

“society,” which can be interpreted as the insurgents’ forming a society of their own

apart from mainstream Philippine society.

　▪　 The IE form is “the stuff of legend.” The problem is that in IE, that would refer to

something in the past that we memorialize, or remember with fondness and admiration

– meanings that do not seem to apply to the insurgency, or the “struggles of the past.”

Only the lessons of unity, courage and a just closure left alive in their hearts.

　▪　Possibly a stylistic fragment. A verb with tense is missing.

We fight for what we believed in.

　▪　 The past tense for “believe” is unexpected since the time frame is present. The

resulting sense is ridiculous since the past tense form indicates present untruth, and

the sentence can be paraphrased as “we fight for what we no longer believe in”.

I pledge to reduce spending where government does not work.

　▪　 The modifying clause “where government does not work” is ambiguous in IE, meaning

“where there is no government agency”, “where government employees are not

working but merely collect their salaries” or “where government work is not effective.” The first meaning does not apply since there is a budget to reduce. The second

meaning leads to a weak response to the so-called 15/30 employees – those who report

only to collect their salaries on the 15th and 30th of the month – by merely reducing the

amount they wrongfully collect. The third meaning is odd; the common reason for

government’s ineffectivenes is lack of funds, yet the statement is that funds will be

further reduced.

I challenge our young men and women; there is a role to play in the re-creation of our nation,

some in honest public service, most in productive private endeavor.

　▪　 The shift in point of view – from addressing the young men and women directly, to an

existential “there is” sentence – is inappropriate.

　▪　 In IE, the phrases “honest public service” and “productive private endeavor” also

communicate the sense that public service is not productive, and private endeavor is

dishonest. This is because the adjectives have their own noun phrases, and since these

noun phrases are exclusive terms, the adjectives also become limited in their scope.

－ 32 －


I look up to Congress to seize this moment in history. Its like it will not come again.

　▪　 n IE references, “look up to” is listed as meaning “admire” or “respect.” Since the

sentence carries the meaning of “expect” or “hope,” the IE form is “look to.”　▪　 “Its like it will not come again” is probably “Its like will not come again.” However, it

sounds the same as the English pattern associated with coeds in exclusive girls’ schools: “It’s like it will not come again,” as the translation of Tagalog. “Parang hindi na

darating muli” (It seems it will not return.).

I shall make good and I shall do good for the good of all and not just for the cameras.

　▪　 In IE, “make good,” without a complement, means “earn well” or “make money.” The IE

idiom closest to the sense of the sentence is “make good on one’s word or promise.”　▪　 The form “not just” is part of the correlative conjunction “not just … but also,” which

makes the sentence most likely spelled out as “not just for the cameras, but also for the

people.” Unfortunately, this construction places primary importance on the noun

phrase after “not just,” i.e., “cameras”, making “the people” only secondary. The

correlative conjunction should have been “not … but” to make “not for the cameras, but

for the people.”

It is important to note that the website makes this Inaugural Address accessible to everyone in

the world who has Internet connection. Also, this speech has been published in an anthology of

inaugural addresses of Philippine presidents.

Her State-of-the-Nation (SONA) addresses of 2007 and 2008 also show certain oddities.

Outstanding from the 2007 SONA are:

I congratulate every elected official, from municipal to provincial to Congress on hard fought

and successful campaigns.

　▪　 The parallelism rule dictates “congressional”.　▪　 The compound adjective should be hyphenated as “hard-fought”.

We must reform agrarian reform so it can transform beneficiaries into agribusinessmen and

other agribusiness women.

　▪　 The redundancy of “reform” could easily be avoided by using other synonyms for the

first “reform”.　▪　 This has the awkward meaning of some beneficiaries becoming “other agribusiness

women”.

On July 8, Ozamis Airport opened, bankrolled partly by Leo Ocampos, Aldo Parojinog and

－ 33 －


Hermie Ramiro’s congressional fund.

　▪　 It appears that the three mentioned have a common fund, when in fact they have

separate funds.

In 2001, we opened a solar plant in Cagayan de Oro. Still, Mindanao faced a 100-megawatt gap

by 2009.　▪　 The past tense “faced” does not fit the time frame of the sentence.

The Philippines ranks among top off-shoring hubs in the world because of cost competitiveness

and more importantly our highly trainable, English proficient, IT-enabled management and

manpower.

I also ask Congress to pass legislation that brings improved long term care for our senior

citizens. Asahan natin si Ed Angara.

　▪　 The compound adjectives should be hyphenated, thus “English-proficient” and “long-

term”.

And, so that no Taiwan tremor can cut off our cyber services from their global clients, PLDT

and Globe are investing P47 billion in new international broadband links through other

regional hubs for redundancy in our cyber space.

　▪　 “Cyberspace” is a one-word compound.

We are investing P3 billion in science and engineering research and development technology,

including scholarships for masters and doctoral degrees programs in engineering in seven

universities.

　▪　 The term is “master’s” and the word “degree” should be singular since it functions as a

modifier.

Firms who were asked for bribes in taxes, permits and licenses dropped from one-third to one-half.

　▪　 One-half is bigger than one-third, so the word should have been “increased”. Even if

the intended meaning is “dropped from one-half to one-third”, the statement is still an

alarming presidential admission of widespread bribery.

Notable examples from her SONA 2008 are:

Others point of the very real surge in demand as millions of Chinese and Indians move up to

the middle class.

　▪　 The idiom is “point to”.

－ 34 －


In doing so, let us be honest and clear eyed – there has been a fundamental shift in global

economics. The price of food and fuel will likely remain high. Nothing will be easy; the

government cannot solve these problems over night.

　▪　 The compound adjective is “clear-eyed” and the adverb is “overnight”.

We must curb the recklessness that gives land without the means to make it productive and

bites off more than beneficiaries can chew.

　▪　 The conjunction signals the odd meaning that “recklessness … bites off more than the

beneficiaries can chew”. The idiom requires the same agent for “bite” and “chew”.

Pag-Ibig housing loans increased from P3.82 billion in 2001 to P22.6 billion in 2007. This year it

experienced an 84% increase in the first four months alone. Super heating na.

　▪　 “overheating”, instead of “super heating”

Mining companies should ensure that host communities benefit substantively from their

investments, and with no environmental damage from operations.

　▪　 “substantially”, instead of “substantively”

The impact of Philippine presidents’ speeches on Pinoy English may be appreciated in light of

the strong effect of the leaders of society on the development of a language or language variety.

Prime Minister Churchill is said to have influenced teachers and editors of English to accept

prepositions or particles at the end of clauses (except, of course, compound prepositions); US

President Eisenhower is said to have influenced the acceptance of “It’s me.” The difference is that

Churchill and Eisenhower are first-language speakers of English, influencing other first-language

speakers. Philippine presidents are second-language speakers, and may not have the same effect

on other Filipino second-language speakers.

In 2004, The present administration tried to impose English as the primary medium of

instruction through then Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus, but it never took off. Now, the

same move is being pushed through legislation, with House Bill 305 authored by Cebu

Representative Eduardo R Gullas having been passed by the House of Representatives upon Third

and Final reading.

If pupils nationwide get to learn the English of the Department of Education, here are some of

the forms and rules they will get, drawn from the department’s seven recent press releases (18-30 July 2008):

PE Lexicon:

- use of enjoin to mean “request, encourage, or invite”. In IE, enjoin means “require” if

－ 35 －


followed by to + verb stem, or “prohibit” if followed by from + verb + -ing.

In the same memorandum, Panadero also enjoined the local executives to support DepEd

and the community in ensuring that school-aged children actually enroll in school.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus enjoins all SPED centers, public and private schools with

special education programs to observe this day with appropriate activities.

- different idioms

Lapus welcomes DILG’s funding support to public schools (IE: support for)

… that will compel parents to constantly keep their children to school. (IE: keep their

children in school, or keep making their children go to school)

The countr y ’s top businessmen and motivational speakers as well as celebrity

entrepreneurs are all set to share their expertise to high school students and teachers in

the 3rd “Teen Negosyo” on July 26-31, at the Baguio Teachers Camp, Baguio City. (IE:

share their expertise with)

And the school is in search for the next batch of world-class artists and cultural leaders as

PHSA opens the 2009 Annual Nationwide Search for Young Arts Scholars (ANSYAS). (IE:

in search of)

“We are committed in making our educational system responsive to the needs of our

students who are blind or visually impaired,” Lapus said. (IE: committed to make or

committed to making)

- different meaning for some prepositions

Among the measures currently implemented by DepEd to ease the financial obstacle to

parents and keep children in school are the no collection and no uniform policy, school

feeding program and alternative learning systems for learners outside of the formal

school system. (IE: outside)

- omitted prepositions

It will spearhead the mainstreaming peace education concepts, skills and values in the

－ 36 －


learning content of the basic education and alternative learning systems (ALS). (IE:

mainstreaming of peace)

PE NP:

- omission of articles from nouns that require articles in IE

The much-awaited payment of the 1999 “over-and-above” allowances of NCR public school

teachers will finally happen with the release of funds from DepEd 2007 NCR savings. (IE:

the DepEd 2007 NCR savings)

The dwindling number of school enrollees is attributed to widespread poverty aggravated

by rising cost of fuel and food. (IE. the rising cost)

Meanwhile, DILG also advised the LGUs to consider the public school’s budgetary

requirements in reviewing and revising approved local school board budgets as well as

other priorities which have been identified in schools’ improvement plans. (IE: the schools’ improvement plans)

Activities planned for Aug. 1 include distribution of 150 white canes to visually impaired

persons from Region 3, 4A and NCR. DOTC will spearhead these activities at DOTC

Conference Hall. (IE: the DOTC Conference Hall)

- use of the quantifier some to mark a specific numeral. In IE, some is used to mean

“approximately”.

DepEd is currently implementing an enhanced curriculum in some 261 tech-voc

secondary schools nationwide to give students a wider employment or entrepreneurship

berth in case they are unable to immediately pursue a 4-year college degree.

PE VP:

- use of the present perfect for an action before a past time frame

Lapus has earlier called on the LGU’s city and municipal councils to come up with an anti-

truancy ordinance …. (IE: had earlier called)

PE Adverbs:

－ 37 －


- placement of the time adverb before the verb

Some 49 public schools in Pangasinan and Zambales affected by typhoon Cosme in May

received teachers’ and students’ packs containing school supplies and reference materials

from the Education in Emergencies Cluster (EEC), the Department of Education today

said. (IE: said today)

PE Embedding:

- an embedded clause does not carry its original meaning as a core sentence

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said, “DepEd will incorporate peace education where it

matters because we believe in the power of education to change the mindset of people

towards peace.” (Where it matters comes from a core sentence it matters Adv-place. As

embedded, it seems as if there are some areas where peace education does not matter.)

PE Spelling:

- different spelling of compounds

Among the services which require regular funding are pre-school classes, utilities,

security and janitorial needs. (IE: preschool)

“The support of the DILG to pay for basic school services is most welcome as we try to

get more schools to accept 5 to 11 years old to enroll and stay in school,” Education

Secretary Jesli Lapus said. (IE: 5-to-11-year-olds or 5-to-11-year-old children)

For inquiries about the line up of activities, please contact Ms. Mirla Olores, Chief Special

Education (SPED) Division, Bureau of Elementary Education, DepEd Complex, Meralco

Avenue, Pasig City at tel. nos. (02) 631-9933 or (02) 632-1361 loc 2054. (IE: lineup or line-

up)

PE Punctuation:

- the end punctuation for a quoted sentence may be omitted

“Our teachers deserve this. They have worked tediously to establish government’s

accountability and have lobbied tirelessly for it” said Lapus.

－ 38 －


- the end punctuation for a quoted sentence may be a period even if the quoting

sentence still follows

“The department is steadfast in boosting not only the competency of our teachers, but

also their morale as government attends to their compensation and benefits.” The

Education Chief said.

- the full date, written as month-day-comma-year, is not followed by a comma if a word

comes after

PHSA is a special school founded on June 11, 1977 and established by Presidential Decree

(PD) 1287.

These national competitions will culminate on January 4, 2009 in time for the bicentennial

celebration of the death of Louis Braille, who invented the Braille, a global system used by

the blind and visually impaired people for reading and writing.

- the agreement of verb and subject is optional

- a numeral-noun sequence is hyphenated

Recently, DepEd has released guidelines to implement the Civil Service Commission

ruling which allow teachers 6-hours a day of actual classroom teaching. (IE: allows to

agree with which which assumes the number of ruling; six hours a day.)

- the plural is understood

- the quantifier “some” can mark a specific numeral

- the sequence adverb-adjective is hyphenated

- the verb “quip” means to make a formal statement

Recently, DepEd granted scholarship to some 198 public school teachers who underwent

training in the care and mentoring of visually-impaired students. “We hope that this

program will open equal opportunities to other differently-able children,” he quipped. (IE:

granted scholarships to 198 public school teachers; visually impaired students; differently able

or physically challenged; he stated.)

Many English teachers tell their students to “think in English” although there is no

psycholinguistic evidence to show that thinking may be done exclusively in a foreign language.

The common response to that instruction is for students to pick up English words and phrases, and

－ 39 －


then put them in sentences without checking their meanings. In effect, what results is cut-and-

paste English constructions.

An example of this is in Memorandum Order No. 54,s. 2007, of the Commission on Higher

Education, on the Revised Syllabi in Filipino 1, 2, and 3 Under the New General Education

Curriculum (GEC), the beginning statement of which is:

In accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) No. 7722, otherwise known

as the “Higher Education Act of 1994”, and by virtue of CEB Resolution No. 606-2006 dated

September 11, 2006 and in order to update the General Education Curriculum to make the

same more responsive to the demands of the next millennium, the Commission approved the

revised Syllabus of Filipino 1, Filipino 2, and Filipino 3 under CHED Memorandum Order No.

59, s. 1996, otherwise known as “New General Education Curriculum (GEC)”.

The problem with this is that the phrase “the next millennium”, used in the year 2007, refers to

the millennium that begins in the year 3001. This revision of college Filipino is 994 years too early.

Apparently this statement was merely copied from CHED Memorandum Order No. 59, s. 1996, which refers to the “next millenium” as the one that began in 2001.

Indeed, the websites of other government offices, as well as those of colleges and universities,

are a rich source of Pinoy English forms.

The term Pinoy English suggests still another data source – the Third Joint CDCE-CETA

National Convention in 2004 (i.e., sponsored by the Council of Department Chairs of English, and

the College English Teachers Association). After all, the participants in the convention should

qualify as “reputable professionals in the English language” in the Philippines.

I chose to transcribe some of the oral data from those who took the microphones since by

speaking through the sound system, they were literally diffusing the forms and patterns they

produced. (I discounted oral data from those who faltered, especially those overwhelmed by shock

or some other strong emotion when they spoke.) The following are data from the first two days of

this convention:

Pronunciation:

abroad [ ]

clientele []

colleague []

comment []

community []

competitive []

consequence [],[]consequently []

－ 40 －


cultural [ ]

curriculum [ ]

decade []

discussion []

drug [ ]

evaluate []

focus []

gamut []

integrative [ ]

interference [ ]

intricacy [ ]

inventory [ ]

launched []

map []

memorizing [ ]

multicultural [ ]

negotiate []

negotiation []

nonsequitur [ ]

occur [

]

ofcourse [ ]

organization [ ]

percentage [ ]

pronunciation [ ]

purposeful [ ]

quote []

result [

],[

]

simulated []

still []

study []

supervisory [ ]

supplemented []

toaddress [ ]

unquote []

various [ ]

venue []

－ 41 －


Idiom:

lip services

disbelief on/of

do away from

on the tertiary level

in different levels

the ramifications of X to Y

put our acts together

a school I work with

this is true to all SUCs

mulling on

at par with

Grammar (morphology and syntax):

Determiner: the teaching of English language

Number: loadings

Verb: one cannot be able

they could be able

Adjective for those who are not yet secured

masteral

Agreement: a prioritization of activities need to be done

each one of these/this college

if the quality of our graduates deteriorate

the public seem

things seems to be exacerbating every year

Comparison: more lucky

Mood: it is necessary that X must do Y

It’s about time that you will propose it now.

Rhetoric (limited here to redundancies):

just simply

like for instance

like for example

Logic:

The better thinkers tended to possess higher mental activity.

[also pertaining to determiner, diction, idiom, and tense]

－ 42 －


The two issues of the CETA-CDCE Journal would have provided a lot more data but after

marking one article, I could not be certain to whom I should attribute the Pinoy English forms – to

the author, the copy editor, or the typist/encoder.

Another way of characterizing Pinoy English is by noting how college English teachers

respond to items in an objective test. I collated the answers of those who participated in various

training workshops I have conducted in different parts of the country over a number of years. The

institutions represented in this collation are:

NAME NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

Ateneo de Naga University 17Cagayan State University 1Calabanga Polytechnic College 2CAT College 4Catanduanes State College 1Computer Arts & Technological College 1Eastern Samar State College 2International School of Medical Transcription 1Isabela State University 3Laguna State Polytechnic College 1Leyte Colleges 6Luzon Nazarene Bible College 1Mabini College 1Mariano Marcos State University-Laoag 6New Era University 2Notre Dame University 18Palawan State University 1Partido College 1Philippine School of Business Adminisration 1Ramon Magsaysay Technological University 1Saint Augustine Seminary 1Saint Mary’s College 1San Antonio de Padua College 1Sorsogon State College, School of Arts & Trades 1Southern Baptist College 2Southern Luzon Polytechnic College 1St Jude College 6St Louis University 2

－ 43 －


St Peter Baptist College 4Tarlac College of Agriculture 1University of Asia & the Pacific 1University of Baguio 27University of Saint Anthony 1University of San Carlos 1University of Santo Tomas 31University of the Philippines Manila 1University of the Philippines Visayas (Tacloban) 2University of the Philippines Diliman 1Western Mindanao State University 1Xavier University, Ateneo de Cagayan 1 -------

158

Obviously, this is convenience sampling, but indicative enough of trends in the pervasiveness

of certain forms and rules that characterize Pinoy English. The test items have only two options,

quite defensible on linguistic and pedagogical terms. Binary values have been used in linguistic

analysis for decades, such as in immediate constituent (IC) analysis and distinctive feature analysis

of the 60s, stratificational grammar of the 70s, government and binding theory of the 80s, and

minimalist program of the 90s. In English, this is manifest in the categories of sounds (vocoids vs.

contoids, syllabic vs. nonsyllabic, voiced vs. voiceless), number (singular vs. plural), tense (past vs.

present), etc. Also, since the test was designed to be used for feedback purposes, the options were

simply the correct form (i.e., the form that is manifest in international media and references), and

the form that is gaining popularity in Philippine media as well as among Filipino journalists,

broadcasters, and teachers of English.

The items are presented below arrayed from lowest to highest percentage (expressed without

decimals) of correct responses. The number beside the percentage refers to the number of

respondents (out of 158) who opted for the Pinoy form. Interestingly, not a single item got a 100%

correct response.

College English Course (CEC) Phase 1 Diagnostic Test: ITEMS ARRAYED

83. In this Palarong Pambansa, the Visayas _ again dominating the track-and-field events.

1. are 2. Is 9% 14411. It is not an exaggeration to state that _ majority of students cheat, especially when they

think the exam is not fair.

1. (no word) 2. The 28% 114

－ 44 －


59. All the volcanologists but _ agreed to the building of dikes to control lahar.

1. he 2. him 31% 10913. The municipal councilor discovered a cache of _ at the town hall’s basement, possibly

from the last war.

1. ordnance 2. ordinance 32% 10846. The police have started their investigation _ Bong Pineda’s involvement in jueteng.

1. of 2. on 32% 10879. The new bill is consistent with UP’s aim _ on a par with the best universities of the

world.

1. of being 2. to be 34% 10487. We should really shift our focus away from basketball towards other sports, _ we have

not progressed in it internationally.

1. inasmuch as 2. in as much as 39% 9735. It is essential that the office _ our computers at least every two years.

1. upgrade 2. upgrades 44% 8939. The continued use of pesticides has so contaminated the produce of developing countries

_ the people of countries that banned pesticides are again in danger when they

consume food imported from these developing countries.

1. that 2. such that 44% 8844. Artists are hoping that DECS will reinstitute separate classes in _ humanities at all pre-

collegiate levels.

1. the 2. (no word) 46% 8633. Such _ pill still has to be tested for possible adverse side effects before it gets BFAD

approval.

1. (no word) 2. a 48% 8252. People in the provinces strongly objected to _ the opening of classes from June to

September to synchronize with school calendars in other countries.

1. move 2. moving 48% 8265. Traveling becomes quite difficult if you bring so _ luggage with you.

1. many 2. much 49% 8193. _ reverted to the People’s Republic of China in July 1997, after a century under British

rule.

1. Hong Kong 2. Hongkong 49% 8190. Immediately after the announcement that a cocktail of drugs can actually diminish the HIV

virus to nearly undetectable levels, thousands of HIV-positive patients wished the treatment

_ not so expensive.

1. were 2. was 52% 76

－ 45 －


9. After a series of shooting incidents involving police officers, they are now _ from

carrying firearms when off-duty; their licenses will be modified.

1. forbidden 2. disallowed 54% 7358. _ sailors are prime targets of street vendors who sell defective or fake goods.

1. Drunken 2. Drunk 54% 7360. Getting caught cheating in the finals _ lead to your flunking the course.

1. might 2. may 55% 7173. The holding of lecture-concerts can _ enough to cover all the performing arts in one

semester, which is why programming for cultural education should have a three-year cycle.

1. not be often 2. be seldom 55% 71 3. The librarian pointed out the collection _ I can find rare manuscripts.

1. wherein 2. in which 56% 70 4. The nurses were quite accommodating to the new hospital volunteers, Mrs Bautista and

_.

1. I 2. me 56% 7041. Even with only one dissenting vote, making the jury _ unanimous, no verdict could be

announced.

1. not quite 2. less 56% 7051. It is almost impossible for many tourists not to enjoy _ at shopping malls.

1. (no pronoun) 2. themselves 56% 7017. The students proposed that the class president _ them in the coming student leaders’

summit.

1. represents 2. represent 58% 6632. The affidavit claims that it _ not possible for her to maltreat the maids at that time,

being still weak from a recent liposuction.

1. was 2. is 58% 6671. It is _ church where many Filipinos find solace from life’s difficulties.

1. in 2. in the 61% 6228. The specimen seems _ a retrovirus, producing DNA using RNA as a template.

1. (no word) 2. to be 61% 6115. As of 1997, the salaries of teachers in public schools have begun to get higher than _ in

private schools.

1. those 2. the salaries of those 63% 5834. We got terrified when we felt the earth _.

1. quake 2. quaking 64% 5795. The evening rehearsals for the folk dance festival lasted until 12:00 _.

1. p.m. 2. a.m. 65% 56

－ 46 －


8. For a fast-food store to be _ by an international chain, it has to pass stringent quality

standards.

1. franchised 2. enfranchised 65% 5518. Because of government neglect, many of our mountains have lost their _ foliage.

1. luxurious 2. luxuriant 66% 5374. When a plane flies in from Hong Kong, airport _ officers are generally on the alert for

undeclared goods.

1. custom 2. customs 67% 5275. My best friend fell in line _. He is ahead by thirty persons.

1. before I did 2. before me 67% 5226. Many a lotto _ had to be escorted by armed security guards to and from the bank.

1. winners 2. winner 69% 4950. When young girls say they want to be _, they are only thinking of the glamor, not the

hard work, in the modeling industry.

1. she 2. her 69% 4956. The so-called “Marcos victims” are optimistic that the award given to them by a court in

Hawaii is still _.

1. collectable 2. collectible 70% 4877. _ musicals are enjoying successful revivals on Broadway.

1. Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s 2. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 70% 4745. In Singapore, you _ tip the waiters and bellboys; their managers do not allow the

practice.

1. must not 2. don’t have to 71% 4643. Thus far, Lisa is the only one among our classical ballerinas who _ won a medal in an

international competition.

1. have 2. has 72% 4562. The Aytas believe that if miners _ not disturbed Mt Pinatubo, it would not have

wakened up from a long sleep.

1. had 1. have 72% 4561. Because the percentages are rounded off, their total as computed sometimes _ not

equal one hundred percent.

1. does 2. do 72% 44 7. Both _ are implicated in the recent epidemic which hit some villages in Africa.

1. viruses 2. virus 73% 4220. New administrators cannot help _ that their new programs and projects are decidedly

better.

1. think 2. thinking 73% 4222. Spanish _ one of the Philippines’ official languages until the 1976 Constitution named

－ 47 －


only English and Filipino.

1. had been 2. has been 73% 4281. Especially when on tour, the UP Cherubim and Seraphim _ admonished to take very

good care of _ voices.

1. are ... their 2. is ... its 73% 4323. To recover from the operation, he must _ in bed for one whole week.

1. lay 2. lie 75% 4037. Parents tend to decide their children’s college course, _ of the children’s personal

choices.

1. irregardless 2. irrespective 75% 4094. Progressive manufacturers _ technology as a tool, as a means to do things better, not

as an end in itself.

1. have used and will continue to use 2. have and will continue to use 75% 4089. More and more companies today face adaptive _ their leaders’ most important job is

mobilizing people to do adaptive work.

1. challenges, thus, 2. challenges; thus, 77% 3680. _ beginning writer tends to complicate the plot too much.

1. Many a 2. Many 80% 3270. At the Battle of Little Bighorn, Crazy Horse killed the same Custer _ some historians

call a Civil War hero.

1. as 2. whom 81% 3086. Because of the recent cases of holdups in provincial buses, we _ traveling in buses

which do not check the passengers’ luggage or pick up passengers along the way.

1. are careful in 2. beware of 81% 3030. After he staggered into the clinic, _ wounded man passed out on the gurney.

1. a 2. the 82% 2947. The Pope was _ by the combined voices of more than 500 singers when they sang the

“Hallelujah” chorus.

1. absolutely thrilled 2. thrilled absolutely 83% 2719. It has become increasingly difficult to _ heavy traffic in Metro Manila, twice a day.

1. cope up with 2. cope with 84% 2629. In the 70s, many _ came to the Philippines for graduate studies as scholars of their

government.

1. Thais 2. Thailanders 84% 2664. The rehearsals for the Christmas cantata will be held from _, every night.

1. December 1-14 2. December 1 to 14 84% 2666. The books we have to read in literature are _ than last semester’s.

1. less 2. Fewer 84% 26

－ 48 －


5. During class hours, no one is allowed to _ on the corridors or the canteen.

1. stand by 2. loiter 84% 25 6. Contributing to our economic difficulties is our _ of being volcanic and located in the

path of typhoons.

1. misfortune 2. unfortunateness 84% 25 2. Antibiotics do not work _ well if you do not take the right dosage for the entire

prescribed period.

1. really 2. real 85% 2363. A soldier’s _ in the line of fire is certainly shameful.

1. cowardice 2. cowardliness 85% 2367. The confidential report informs us _ Vietnam and China had skirmishes over some

islands in the Spratlys.

1. that 2. where 85% 2382. Even two _ roses were not enough to make the girl answer his phone calls.

1. dozens 2. dozen 85% 23 1. Most _ from prison get caught in their respective hometowns.

1. escapees 2. escapers 86% 2254. I _ on the lotto last week but lost my ticket.

1. bet 2. betted 87% 2157. The one who can speak _ among the elders in a Negrito tribe is considered as their

leader.

1. better 2. best 87% 2125. Even if data _ readily available at the crime scene, many police officers do not know

how to preserve them for proper investigation procedures.

1. are 2. is 89% 1814. After months of physical therapy, the former paraplegic managed to _.

1. be dressed up by himself 2. dress himself up 89% 1736. What the labor arbiter proposed is _ best solution to resolve the deadlock over new

wages.

1. a 2. the 89% 1784. Free copies of the souvenir program were given to every _.

1. participants 2. participant 89% 1785. With the entire stage alive with machinery, including a flying helicopter, Miss Saigon is

_ show.

1. a quite exciting 2. quite an exciting 91% 1598. In Christmas carols, lambs and _ pay homage to the Christ Child at the manger.

1. oxen 2. oxes 91% 15

－ 49 －


42. The proctor was staring at us _ we were cheating.

1. like 2. as if 91% 1472. The union leader, together with a host of followers, _ to have been brutalized by

mercenaries.

1. claims 2. claim 91% 1496. It is said that Thomas Edison, a workaholic, hardly _ slept; instead, he merely took

short naps.

1. ever 2. never 91% 1416. The restaurant’s chef deserves praise for preparing kosher dishes _, for our Jewish

guests.

1. well today 2. today well 92% 1392. Madam Tingting Cojuangco was the _ of Tarlac.

1. governor 2. Governess 92% 1331. Some economists believe we ought _ more with our neighbors than with Europe or

South America.

1. trade 2. to trade 92% 1249. Despite several _ by so-called “experts,” the country’s water supply problem is still a

long way from getting solved.

1. analyses 2. analysis 92% 1210. All of you should group _ into tens for this game.

1. yourself 2. yourselves 93% 1169. Because of all the curse words the actress hurled at the TV show host, on the air, she is

now facing oral _ charges.

1. defaming 2. Defamation 93% 1188. There _ no greater love than for a man to lay down his life for a friend.

1. are 2. is 93% 1140. In fiery sermons, effective evangelists _ their listeners.

1. exhort, cajole, and even threaten

2. exhort, cajole, and are even threatening to 94% 1099. Only in rich nations _ new information technology take root.

1. this could 2. could this 94% 1024. To entice foreign investors, the country has offered virtually _ havens, such as Subic

and Clark.

1. taxless 2. tax-free 94% 948. Her dream boy finally proposed to her. How happy she _!

1. must be 2. (no word) 94% 9

－ 50 －


27. For his best man, the groom chose his younger brother; for her _, the bride chose her

best friend.

1. best lady 2. maid-of-honor 95% 897. All these paraphernalia are really _.

1. hers 2. her 95% 821. The secret to successful partnering, in ballet as well as figure skating, is that the partners

support _.

1. themselves 2. each other 96% 768. _ the police waged war against criminals, we would have a more peaceful community.

1. If 2. When 96% 676. Last semester’s _ 101 was quite revealing in terms of our leaders’ seeming lack of

economic knowledge.

1. Economics 2. economics 96% 678. The main criticism leveled by the panel at our research was that _.

1. a control group is lacked by the experiment

2. the experiment lacks a control group 96% 655. Having listened to all the options to get us out of this wreck, Peter and _ will try to

tunnel out.

1. me 2. I 97% 512. Workplace violence will remain a threat _ companies identify employees who commit

minor aggressive acts and require them to attend counseling sessions.

1. unless 2. except 97% 453. Scientists generally agree that the Neandertal did not _ into another type of modern

man.

1. evolve 2. evolved 98% 391. The cathedral would not have been rebuilt _ the cooperation of the parishioners.

1. without 2. not with 98% 338. Andrew Lloyd Webber, _ won the Oscar for best song, said that he was thankful The

English Patient did not have a theme song.

1. which 2. who 99% 2100. According to the American Medical Association’s Family Medical Guide, a medium frame

man with a height of 5’6” should weight from 137 to 149 _.

1. pnds. 2. lbs. 99% 1

The numbers generated by this collation are interesting in relation to IE in the Philippines.

The first column of numbers below refers to the basic statistics from the 158 respondents reflected

in the item analysis presented above. The second column refers to the same respondents plus 112 English teachers of the AMA Education System from various parts of the country. Since some of

－ 51 －


the AMAES teachers were absolute greenhorns in English teaching – some not even English

majors – their responses were not included in the item analysis. Still, school systems like AMAES,

which aim to reach as many Filipinos as possible by setting up small colleges and learning centers

all over the country, may become a strong force in the furtherance of Pinoy English among college

students and graduates.

Various Various colleges

colleges plus AMAES

mean = 73.85 70.94 maximum = 99 99minimum = 45 45standard deviation = 9.33 9.18number of respondents = 158 270

The low average (with reference to IE), the wide range (the distance between minimum and

maximum) and the big standard deviation (placing 68% of college English teachers between 62 and

80) cast a negative light on the ability of English faculties to teach the international variety of

English.

The number of teachers who “make the grade” in IE is also rather small. If the passing score

is set at 75, 36.30% of them make it. But a passing grade of 75 also means errors in 25, or a

probability of 1 error in every 4 items. This may be deemed unacceptable for English teachers. If

the passing score is set at 85, only 4.81% make it; at 90, only 0.74% (or 1%) pass. Clearly, schools

that impose fluency on IE will have great difficulty in filling up its faculty ranks.

Score Percentile Score Percentile Score Percentile Score Percentile

99 0.37% 78 26.30% 67 67.78% 55 95.93% 90 0.74% 77 31.48% 66 70.74% 54 96.30% 88 2.59% 76 35.19% 65 75.19% 51 97.78% 86 3.70% 75 36.30% 64 77.78% 50 98.15% 85 4.81% 74 38.89% 63 81.85% 49 98.89% 84 7.04% 73 42.96% 62 85.19% 48 99.26% 83 9.26% 72 47.78% 61 86.67% 46 99.63% 82 13.33% 71 52.59% 60 88.52% 45 100.00% 81 17.04% 70 56.30% 59 92.59% 80 21.11% 69 60.00% 58 95.19% 79 24.07% 68 65.93% 56 95.56%

－ 52 －


This could mean the inexorable growth of Pinoy English. At the same time, this could mean

that schools that can convince its clientele that it is good in IE will attract more students and/or will

be able to charge more, for the simple reason that such schools are becoming rare even as English

language proficiency is becoming more of an asset in the workplace. For companies that require

IE among its employees, this means allotting a bigger budget for training, and reconfiguring work

flow to cover time spent by employees in IE training.

The generation of Pinoy English forms is rooted in the weakening or even loss of connection

with native speakers of English. After the Thomasites introduced English as the medium of

instruction in the public school system set up by the US colonial government at the beginning of

the 20th century, the learning of English by Filipinos became less occasioned by exposure to native

speakers, and more focused on learning from dictionaries and grammar books.

To many teachers and learners of English, a dictionary is a definitive source of information on

the spelling, pronunciation, grammatical category, and meaning of words. What they have not

considered is the limited and dated coverage of dictionaries available in the market. An over-

reliance on a pocket dictionary, for example, has led to many English teachers’ rejection of

celebrant as the word to refer to one marking his birthday, since most dictionaries define celebrant

only as a person who leads a religious ceremony, such as a priest who officiates at Mass. These

teachers then popularize the word celebrator without realizing that the word refers to anyone

participating in a celebration. The fact is celebrant also refers to anyone marking an anniversary,

and the phrase birthday celebrant has been used in international media.

Some teachers and learners also conclude that because a word is not listed in their

dictionaries, then it must not be an English word. What they have not considered is that a

language changes in time, and a dictionary is a mere sample of the lexicon of a language at a given

time. Dictionary publishers have a waiting period of around five to seven years to be assured that

new words included in the print edition have stabilized in the language. For example, bling-bling

(flashy jewelry) and treehugger (environmentalist) did not get into the Oxford and Merriam-

Webster dictionaries until 2002. This means that relatively new words cannot be found in

dictionaries available in the local market, like captcha or twit/tweet. The different data bases of

dictionaries also leads to dif ferences in their entries. For example, hegemony has three

pronunciations: [], first variant in Merriam-Webster, Oxford, Random House, and

Encarta; [], second variant in Random House and Encarta, third variant in Merriam-

Webster; and [], only entry in Cambridge, second variant in Merriam-Webster and

Oxford.

Yet, despite this reliance on dictionaries as primary source of information, most teachers and

learners cannot read the phonetic transcriptions, worsened by the fact that English dictionaries do

not have a common transcription system. This has led to spelling pronunciations, or interpretations

of pronunciation based on spelling, complicated by the chaotic spelling system of English. An

interesting example is the pronunciation of organization as [ ], with stress on the

－ 53 －


second syllable, even giving its vowel the American [] sound, instead of the listed pronunciation

[ ()], with primary stress on the fourth syllable, secondary stress on the first,

and a weak vowel for the second syllable which may even be omitted.

Reliance on grammar books is even more problematic. Most teachers and learners think that

grammatical rules are hard and fast, yet in fact they are either generalizations on syntactic and

morphological patterns, or, from another perspective, they are hypotheses on how the mind

generates and comprehends words and sentences. Since most grammar books used in teaching

English locally are based on traditional grammar, i.e., rules written in the late 18th century based on

an application of Latin rules to English forms, they do not explain well many of the structures that

teachers and learners find problematic. A simple example is the identification of the “future tense” as one of three simple tenses of the English verb, when actually the English verb takes only two

tense forms, past and present, and the so-called “future tense” is really a combination of the modal

verb shall or will and the base form of the main verb, creating an expression of futurity, or a future

phrase, like General MacArthur’s famous “I shall return.” Another is the lack of explanation for the

acceptability of membership in ASEAN is good for Cambodia, but unacceptability of *membership of

Cambodia in ASEAN is good (the acceptable form being the membership of Cambodia in ASEAN is

good). This is because traditional grammar books do not point out the distinction between nouns

that take determiners, like apple, and nouns that do not, like membership, but which take the when

modified by an of phrase or which clause.

The weakening of the direct linguistic connection with native English speakers has led to the

situation of Filipinos learning English mainly from each other. Any new pronunciation, idiom, word

usage, phrase structure, or even spelling generated by an adult, especially one who is looked up to

by society as a good exemplar of English, gets spread by diffusion.

The diffusion model for human behavior clearly explains how all these random changes in

English have spread out in Philippine society. This model has five conditions (Lave and March):

1. Generation/Possession: The individual has the object of diffusion.

2. Contact: The individual must be connected with another by some kind of relevant

communication link.

3. Transmission: The individual must transmit the object of diffusion.

4. Acceptance: The other individual must accept the object of diffusion.

5. Storage: After diffusion has happened, the object of diffusion is in both individuals involved,

indefinitely.

An example of the diffusion of an idiom in a university easily illustrates these five conditions:

1. Generation/Possession: A professor thinks that the English translation of Tag. implikasyon

sa kalusugang pampubliko is implication to public health.

－ 54 －


2. Contact 1: The professor handles a class in which the students are preparing their research

proposals for their term papers, and some of them use the phrase implication on public

health.

3. Transmission 1: The professor corrects them and lectures on other English idioms.

4. Acceptance 1: The students take notes and change their proposals to implication to public

health.

5. Storage: For the entire semester, the students keep the idiom implication to in their writing

and research assignments.

6. Contact 2: The following semester, the students enroll in a course handled by a visiting

British professor.

7. Transmission 2: The new professor, in turn, correct the students’ idiom to implication for.

8. Acceptance 2: The students get confused. A Filipino professor says implication to, a British

professor says implication for, Philippine media use implication on. If the students look up

international print media, they will read implication for.

The diffusers are easily identified as those whose relevant communication link is to hundreds

of learners. The particularly strong dif fusers are (1) teachers, (2) priests and ministers, (3)

administrators, (4) media practitioners, and (5) copywriters. An example of a word that is still

taught by teachers and used in national print media is routinary, as the adjective form for routine.

This is a dated form; it is noted by the Oxford English Dictionary as a rare form, with one

citation from Emerson dated 1870. It probably last appeared in the 1911 unabridged Merriam-

Webster dictionar y. The currently listed adjective form of routine is also routine. Most

mathematics teachers pronounce Pythagorean with the stress on -go- or the third syllable, while the

listed standard pronunciation has the stress on -re- or the fourth syllable. Many priests and

ministers pronounce covet with stress on the second syllable, instead of the first, and put the stress

on Catholicism on the first syllable, as in the adjective Catholic, instead of on the second.

Broadcasters, especially in the top stations, pronounce innovative with stress on the second

syllable, instead of a primary stress on the first and a secondary stress on the third. Newspaper

writers use the idiom at par with to mean “on the same level as” but the idiom used in international

media is on a par with. Copywriters use the one-word spelling everyday as an adverb, as when they

write statements like “Use this product everyday”, instead of the two-word spelling every day as the

adverb, and everyday as the adjective, as in “Make this your everyday routine”. Administrators say

administrative with the stress on -nis- or the third syllable, instead of on the second. We have even

evolved a variety of English we can call “memo English”, illustrated above in the excerpts from

DepEd, in which the word enjoin is used to mean “requesr, encourage, invite” when in fact its

dictionary meaning is “require” in the idiom enjoin someone to do something, or “prohibit” as in the

idiom enjoin someone from doing something.

Thus, English teachers in particular have settled into a state of comfort in Pinoy English as it

－ 55 －


gradually and inexorably drifted farther and farther away from American, British, Canadian or

Australian English. They cannot recognize deviant forms since such forms are common among

Filipino English language professionals.

The drift hypothesis explains the feeling of comfort in PE, such that:

　▪　 English language professionals (ELPs) do not consider their English as incorrect or

substandard, since the milieu reinforces the variety.

　▪　 The so-called “communicative” approach to English teaching, interpreted as allowing

errors to occur for as long as the speaker or writer can be understood, has been

popularly accepted by many faculties.

　▪　 Seminars and workshops sponsored by DepEd and CHED have focussed more on

teaching strategies and less, if at all, on language proficiency, leading to odd

combination of better teaching techniques and substandard English language

proficiency – in short, the better teaching of Pinoy English.

　▪　 Despite the facts on the proficiency levels of English teachers, administrators are not

seriously seeking change, as they seem not to be concerned with providing quality

educational service.

　▪　 The school system has kept the situation in which English teachers with the lowest

level of proficiency teach in elementary school, while those with the highest level of

proficiency teach in college, with the unfortunate consequence that children are taught

during their formative years, for the longest period (six years), by the least competent.

　▪　 No English language degree program requires a student to take an international

English proficiency test as a requirement in any course or a prerequisite for graduation

as an English language major, which means that the English majors are not certified to

be comparable with native speakers.

　▪　 Advertisements for job openings in call centers place no premium on a college degree

in English, Speech, or Broadcast Communication. In fact, even high school graduates

may qualify.

　▪　 ELPs resist learning and teaching IE, especially when they realize that the shift involves

painstaking drills in many details over a period of two to three years.

　▪　 It takes strong administrative will to impose the shift and overcome teacher resistance.

　▪　 If at all a school or company decides to shift, it must be systemic – all teachers using

English as instructional language are de facto English teachers, and all personnel using

English as official language are themselves language diffusers; thus, they should all

participate in the paradigm shift.

Discomfort with PE surfaces when graduates and even some ELPs try to penetrate the

outsourcing industry. Many English majors and teachers fail to pass auditions for call centers.

－ 56 －


Many communication majors, even with master’s degrees and some years of local writing

experience, get rejected when their on-the-spot essays, written as part of their application for a

technical writing job, show a lot of PE forms and errors, at the rate of more than eight errors per

ten sentences. The discomfor t also sur faces in companies that encounter problems in

communication and decision-making due to PE, especially multinationals. A Filipino who tells a

five-star hotel staff that he needs “an accommodation” may be understood to mean he is asking for

a discount or some other special privi lege, when in fact he only needs a room, or

“accommodations.” And if, speaking on a Monday, he says he needs the room for “next Friday,” he

might be booked for the Friday of the following week instead of the coming Friday of the same

week.

The value of English is recognized worldwide. Vietnam has established foreign language

universities, with the majority of students taking English. It may soon become more attractive to

call centers and other English-based multinationals, considering Vietnam’s lower labor cost, and

the difficulty of hiring and training Filipinos despite their 12 years of formal English training in the

school system.

The present government’s plan to make English the primary medium of instruction, through

legislation, will simply intensify the drift. Students will pick up the English of the Math teacher, the

Science teacher, the History teacher, the Physical Education teacher, and so on. If DepEd says

these non-English teachers will be trained in using English as medium of instruction, they will

likely be trained by the English teachers, who themselves need years of corrective training.

If the intent is for students to learn good English, then it is better to focus on improving

English language instruction – to make it on a par with those in Israel, the Netherlands, Finland,

and other countries whose four-to-six-year programs in English ensure that high school graduates

have a proficiency level quite similar to American high school graduates, even if all of their other

courses are taught in their respective native languages. It’s about time DepEd seriously considered

the many academic advantages of teaching in the vernacular. After all, if a Math teacher is a

mother whose own children have difficulties in Math, and she tutors them at home, she uses the

vernacular, simply because it is the better medium for developing elementary mathematical skills.

So, why study Pinoy English? Three good reasons. One is to satisfy our linguistic curiosity,

and establish its identity apart from the other Englishes of the world. Another is to articulate the

contrasts between PE and IE so that the teaching of IE to Filipinos, if desired, can be better

directed. Still another, which is beginning to get highly valued by multinationals with expat

managers, is to advise foreign managers in figuring out the English of their employees – for a

foreigner to realize that when the Pinoy says “I’ll go ahead,” the one being addressed is not

expected to follow, that when the Pinoy writes “I enjoin you to attend the party,” the one addressed

is only being invited or requested formally, not required, or that when the Pinoy says, “I’ll blow you

out,” the addressee need not fear for his life.

－ 57 －


REFERENCES:

Social Science:

Lave, Charles A, and James G March. 1992. An Introduction to Models in the Social Sciences. NY: Harper &

Row.

English lexicon:

Allen, Robert (ed-in-chief.). 1994. Chambers Encyclopedic English Dictionary. Edinburgh: Larousse.

__________ (consultant ed.). 2000. English Dictionary. London: Penguin.

Bolander, Donald O and Valerie Law Stodden. 1986. Time: The Dictionary. New York: Lexicon.

Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms. 1998. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.

Cambridge International Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. 1997. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.

Costello, Robert B (ed-in-chief). 1991. Random House Webster’s College Dictionary. New York: Random House.

Cruz, Isagani R and Ma. Lourdes Bautista. 1995. A Dictionary of Philippine English. Pasig: Anvil.

Ehrlich, Eugene et al. (eds.). 1980. Oxford American Dictionary. New York: Avon.

Gove, Philip B (ed-in-chief). 1986. Merriam-Webster’s Third New International Dictionary. 1986. Chicago:

Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.

Mish, Frederick (ed-in-chief). 1993. Merriam-Webster’s Tenth New Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, MA:

Merriam-Webster Inc.

Pearsall, Judy and Bill Trumble. 1996. The Oxford English Reference Dictionary. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford UP.

Procter, Paul (ed-in-chief). 1995. Cambridge International Dictionary of English. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

Reader’s Digest. 1969. Use the Right Word: Modern Guide to Synonyms and Related Words. London: The

Reader’s Digest.

__________. 1996. Word Power Dictionary. Hong Kong: The Reader’s Digest.

Soukhanov, Anne H (US Gen. Ed.). 2005. Encarta Webster’s College Dictionary. New York: Bloomsbury.

Spears, Richard A. 1996. NTC’s American Idioms Dictionary. 2nd ed. Lincolnwood, Ill: National Textbook Co.

The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. 1971. New York: Oxford.

English pronunciation:

Bowen, J Donald. 1975. Patterns of English Pronunciation. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury.

Crowell, Thomas Lee Jr. 1961. Modern Spoken English. New York: McGraw-Hill.

English usage:

Astle, Cedric. 1979. How good is your English?. Kingswood, Surrey, UK: Elliot Right Way.

Axtel, Roger E.1995. Do’s and Taboos of Using English Around the World. New York: John Wiley.

Bernstein, Theodore M. 1977. Dos, Don’ts & Maybes of English Usage. New York: Times Books.

Birley, Rosalind. 1987. Improve your English. New Delhi: University Book Stall.

Burchfield, R W. 1996. The New Fowler’s Modern English Usage. 3rd ed. Oxford: Clarendon.

Fowler, H.W. 1965. A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, rev. and ed. by Sir Ernest Gowers. Oxford: Oxford

UP.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage. 1989. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster Inc.

Wallraff, Barbara. 2000. Word Court. New York: Harcourt.

Weiner, Edmund and Andrew Delahunty (comp). 1993. The Oxford Guide to English Usage. Oxford: Oxford

UP.

－ 58 －


English grammar:

Chalker, Sylvia and Edmund Weiner. 1994. The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford UP.

Greenbaum, Sidney. 1996. The Oxford English Grammar. Oxford. Oxford UP.

Haegeman, Liliane & Jacqueline Guéron.1999. English Grammar: A Generative Perspective. Malden, Mass.:

Blackwell.

Jarvie, Gordon. 1993. Bloomsbury Grammar Guide. London: Bloomsbury.

Lester, Mark. 1971. Introductory Transformational Grammar of English. New York: Holt, Rinehart and

Winston.

Liljeblad, Fredrik. 1999. English Grammar Handbook. Princeton: Berlitz.

Palmer, Frank. 1965. A Linguistic Study of the English Verb. London: Longmans.

Phythian, Brian Arthur. 1980. English Grammar. Suffolk: Richard Clay Ltd.

Quirk, Randolph et al. 1985. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. London: Longman.

Radford, Andrew. 1997. Syntactic Theory and the Structure of English: A Minimalist Approach. Cambridge UP.

Safire, William. 1990. Fumblerules. New York: Dell.

Shertzer, Margaret. 1986. The Elements of Grammar. New York: Macmillan.

English language history:

Bryson, Bill. 1990. Mother Tongue: English & How It Got That Way. New York: Avon.

Hunt, Cecil. 1962. Word Origins: The Romance of Language. New York: The Wisdom Library.

McCrum, Robert, William Cran, and Robert MacNeil. 1987. The Story of English. New York: Penguin.

philippine english: a case of language drift · english. technically, these are second-language...

Documents